Life-boat.



D. A. WHITAKER & H. W. THAYER.

LIFE BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.2.1917. m'mms. Patented July 23,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WITNESSES: Ill/VE/l/ TOR W WM my rue mamas PC'rERs 1:0..PNa1u-unm, WAsmNamN. n. c.

n. A. WHITAKER & H. W. THAYER.

LIFE BOAT.

1 I APPLICATION FILED JAN.2. 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

D. A. WHETAKER & H. W. THAYER.

LIFE BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-2. 1911.

Patented July 23, 11918,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Nnnms s-rmns co PNOTO-LITHQ. wAsmucrom n.

rrnn

.di'll lt ll ltll nrnnann a. wi-rrrnicnnnlv'n nann w. r eves, or sacnannnro, cntrronnra.

LIFE-BOAT.

Specification of Letters Itatent.

llmtented duly 255i, limit.

Application filed January 2, 1917. burial No. 14t0,0i54l=.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DILLARD A. VVHIT- AIKER and HARRY W. TI-rAYnn, citizens of the United States, residing at Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento and State of California, have invented new and useful Tmprovemcnts in Life-Boats, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to life boats; and has for its object to provide a safe and substantial structure that will afiord security to the occupants in any emergency and capable of being launched in any condition of sea.

Generally stated, the boatcom'prises an inclosed water-tight structure capable of being submerged to great depths without danger of. collapseor leakage, and so shaped and constructed as to float upon its sides or top when for any reason it should be overturned in launching and gradually assume an. upright keel thereafter.

In many marine disasters, such as in the case of the Lusitania, .the vessel sinks so suddenly as to afford no time for launching the usual life boat and rowing it away from danger by the sinking vessel. The sinking of the vessel creates a suction or swirl which tends strongly to draw the life boats down with it. In the present device, by reason of the inclosed structure and the arrangement of longitudinal beams or keels upon the sides and top thereof, as well as on the bottom, the life boat, after the occupants are once in place and the hatches closed, will be safe in any emergency whether it be overturned or submerged by the suction of the sinking vessel. Preferably we construct the boat of large size and equip the same with power propelling mechanism and steering appara tus so that the boat may be driven to shelter in case of a. mid-ocean accident.

One form which our invention may assume is exemplified in the following'description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which--- Figures 1 and 2 show diagrannnatic views of a device embodying our invention.

Fig. 3 shows a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 4 shows a front elevation.

Fig. 5 shows a rear elevation.

Fig. 6 shows a plan view of said boat.

Fig. 7 shows a. longitudinal, vertical, sectional view of the same.

Fig. 8 shows a cross sectional View, taken on the line a e of Fig. i.

In the drawings, we show an inclosed boat, whale back in shape, or, more particularly, substantially elliptical in cross section, the bow and stern being rounded. The boat comprises a hull having a skeleton or frame of steel which includes top and bot-- tom keels 1 and side keels 2, preferably T shaped in cross section. These keels are shown as spaced substantially 90? apart and suitable portholes 5 and hatchways 3 being formed in the shell and made water-tight, whereby to form an inclosed structure capable of being submerged to great depths and so supported and reinforced throughout as to withstand the local strains upon the top and sides incident to capsizing or overturning. The hull is provided within with center posts 22 extending vertically between the top and bottom keels and flooring 20. Seats 19 having compartments 23 be neath for ballast or water, together with other compartments 21 for provisions, may be included in the interior construction.

The hatchways 3 are provided with eyes 9 for engagement by the long-shanked hooks 6 to hold the same opened, said hooks en tending from opposite sides of the top keel 1. On the under side of the side keels the rope rails 8 are securely held by the eye bolts 13.

"A motor is shown at 14 for operating a propeller '7!" by means of a shaft 16 extending through the floor, which latter is upwardly inclined at the stern of the boat and supported upon a false keel 10, through which the shaft 16 also extends. The keel 10 is cut away at the rear to receive the propeller l and a rudder 11, the latter being operated by suitable connection 1? extending to a pilot wheel 18 at the front of the boat. The top keel 1 is provided with eyes 12 and 24 to receive davit hooks, by means of which the life boat is carried and launched in the usual way.

The bottom. portion of the boat is made slightly longer transversely than the top and by reason of this, coupled with the fact that suitable ballast Willibe stored in the bottom, 'the boat even if launched in an overturned position will gradually assume an upright keel. The provision of the side and top keelswill afford suflicient. strength and reinforcement for the hull in case the boat is overturned and the rounded ends whereby the four keels may be joined together at'theirends, together with thelother reinforcement, including the longitudinally Vextendingmembers 21, will provide ample support-fonthe hull no matter how excessivethei strains may be which are imposed mpon any POltlOlIOf the bOat. Also a boat so constructed may be submerged to great depths without danger of collapse. There is no water line as-suchl-and .thel'boat may, therefore; be loaded beyond the usual cavpacity of vessels of this size Without danger.

":By reason of-zthe inclosed water-tight eon- -struotion and "the provision of i-poWerpro' vpelling nand steering ;mechanism the: boat may beoperate'd in anykind ofaseas and .for a considerable idistanceyprovisioirbeing made for storage of isupplieswand compressed air whereby to sustain life.

- Figs. land 2 are iprojection I-views, the 1 lines :andnumbers identifying -.-c or re'spond- 'ing points on'the'hull in-both views.

Various changes in the construction hand arrangement of the several parts :herein shown and-described may 'be: employed Withtially elliptical form, a longitudinal T- "shaped 'keel-bean'l extending about the hull and having its cross top portion secured thereto so that its-vertical web will extend outwardly therefrom the bottom of the hull having'itsrearpartraised off the keel beam in an upwardly and rearward-direction so asito= space .the cross top portion of said beam from-the hull, a sheet-like falsekeel Iinterposed between the raised part of the hull and the keel beam and secured to the 1 crosstop portion of the latter, said false keel bemg-eut awaylto provide an ope'nmg for a propeller and rudder above the :keelbeam,

--a propeller-and arudder both arranged in the; opening of the false keel, the cross top portion of the keel beam extending from oppositeisides-ofthe false keelto'reinforce the :same and to afford DI'OtCCtlOll to the pros peller -and rudder.

.1 In: testimony :vvhereof we 1 have hereunlx) :set our "hands in the presence of thesubscribing Witness.

,:.DILLARD A. WHITAKER.

HARRY W. TEA-YER. fitness:

-W. HEALEY.

- nfiopi es ofthis'patentwmay-be-obtainedforfive -entsveach, by addressing the' Commissioner of Patents,

1 -Washlngton,-vD.-'I0." 

